Azerbaijan to complete army’s infrastructure in 2021 - minister

Defence Minister Zakir Hasanov has said that the process of upgrading the Azerbaijani Army’s infrastructure will be fully completed in 2021, in line with Commander-in-Chief llham Aliyev’s decree.

Addressing the official meeting at the Central Command Post on January 11, the minister also said that live-fire exercises and practical trainings will be held at various scales in 2020 in a bid to increase combat readiness personnel.

He called on improving the relevant academic and material basis for the high-quality organization of professional training of servicemen of various specialties providing combat training, to organize periodic training sessions of servicemen of this category, to conduct sudden inspections to determine the state of continuous and stable command and control of troops in military units in accordance with orders and directives, as well as to provide constant control over the education and discipline of military personnel.

Analyzing the operational situation on the front line, Hasanov instructed the personnel to take adequate measures using more powerful weapons to immediately suppress attempts to likely intensify the actions of the Armenian armed forces.

Taking into consideration the onset of the winter period, he set the tasks for officials to ensure heating of barracks and other facilities, to carry out preventive measures to implement constant medical monitoring of the health status of military personnel, including young soldiers, and to pay special attention to the social conditions of the military personnel.

He noted the commissioning of a large number of military facilities in 2019 in order to improve the service of military personnel and the social conditions of their families, and the fact that such an activity will also be continued this year.

At the end of the meeting, Hasanov gave relevant instructions in connection with the organization and conduct of activities in military units to fulfill the tasks arising from the requirements of the Decree of the President of Azerbaijan “On the 30th anniversary of the tragedy of January 20”.

The meeting was held with the participation of Deputies of Defence Minister, Commanders of types of troops, Chiefs of Main Departments, Departments and Services of the Ministry, and also commanders and other officers of Army Corps and formations stationed in frontline zone who were involved via the video communication.

The skills and combat readiness of the Azerbaijani army are growing year by year, as the country’s Armed Forces regularly conduct military exercises. The Azerbaijani army is supplied with modern weapons and technical equipment for maintaining a high level of combat capability.

The army building process is of particular importance for Azerbaijan, as 20 percent of the country's territory is under Armenian occupation and the country is in a state of war with Armenia.